Spring shackle



R. -R. SEARLES 1,757,747

SPRING SHACKLE May 6, 1930.

Filed June 9, 1928 F INVENTOR. a);

ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATES NECTICUT 4 RAYMOND R. SEARLES, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR,TO THE FAFNIR I BEARING COMPANY, OF-

BRITAIN,,CONNECTICUT, A. CORPORATION OF' CON- srnme SHAOKLE Applicationjled .Tu'ne 9, 1928; Serial 30-284359.

' My invention relates to an" antifriction spring shackle construction adapted particu larly for connecting an automobile spring and frame. a Y 7 Antifriction spring shackles are now on the market, and briefly stated, include shackle links having antifriction bearing member raceways at opposite ends of the links. Members having antifriction raceways thereon are secured tothe'sprin'g and frame, and antifriction bearing members are seated upon the raceways on the shackle links and those on the spring andframe.

- The shackle links are usually held together by a means of a through-bolt extending through the links and provided with nuts at the ends. A spacing sleeve or thimble surrounds the through-bolt and abuts the insides of the links, so as to act as a spacer for the links. The employment of a tubular sleeve or V thimble as a spacer and a through-bolt extending through said thimble-as atie means, requires that there be considerable length to the shackle links in order to accommodate the relatively large diameter ofspacing thlmble.

Itis a principal object of the present invention to provide a single spacing and connecting means for the shackle links of an antlfriction spring shacklewhich will'be compact in construction. whereby the shackle links may be substantiallyjshorter than usu ally have beenhe'retofore employed, that. is to say, the bearing centers on'th'e spring" and frame may be relatively closer together.

It is a more specific'object to provide a single spacing and tie-bar for an antifricti-on shackle construction with improved means for tying the links together and maintaining the same in definite spaced relation.

' Briefly stated, in the preferred form ofthe for connecting a spring and: frame through the medium of antifriction bearing members interposed between the shackle'links and the invention, I employ a pair of shackle :links faces of the links-,-so as to definitely space the spring and frame of a vehicle. The shackle links are spaced apart by shoulders upon a V improved means of securlng the'links togethcombined spacing and'tie-bar interposed between the links. One or both ends ofthe spacing and tie-bar are positively secured to the adjacent shackle-link by means such as a Wedge key or keys, so that the links will be definitely spaced apart by the shoulders on the spacing-and tie-bar and will be definitely 1lgeld together by the same spacing and tiea In the drawing, I have shown for illustrative purposes only, a preferred form of.

the invention. r

In said drawing- 7 r V Fig. 11 is a fragmentary side view of an automobile frame and spring connected by means of a shackle illustrative'of my invention;

V Fig. 2 is an end view in partial section of the construction shown in-Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional-view taken substantially in the plane of the line 3 -3, Fig. 2.

In said drawing, 5 indicates theend of an automobile frame, while 6 indicates a spring, the ends of these two members being connected by means of shackle links 77.' Inthe form shown the frame is provided with a shackle pin 9 projecting laterally therefrom and forming a race for antifriction bearing members such as balls 10 interposed between the ends of the pin 9 anda'bearing cup ll'on the shackle links 7 +7. 1 The spring 6 may be provided'with a similar pin 9 which serves the same purpose'as that heretofore described a in connection'with the frame end. It is to be understood that bothlinks '7 are preferably the, same," and only one linkneed be de-. scribed, and its operative connection to the frame and'spring illustrated.

Heretofore links such as 7 7 have usually I been connected by means of a single through- I bolt extending through the sides of the links and provided with nuts at the "ends. spacing thimble or sleeve. surrounding the through-bolt usually abuts the inside sur- My present invention in part relates to an er'definitely in definitespaced apart relation, and accomplishing this insuch a manner that In order to space the links apart, I employ a spacing and tie-bar member 18 which may be, preferably is, of flat bar shape'with its smaller dimension extending between the 7 frame and spring ends so as to conserve space and permit a short link construction@ The bar 13 may have a contracted end portion 14: leaving substantial shoulders 15 -15 inwardly of the end. The width of the bar 13 as shown particularly in Fig. 3 preferably fills the inside of the channel shaped portion 12 ofthe link, and the shoulders 15l 5' abut the walls of the links between the channel flanges of the link. A relatively contracted end portion 14 of the spacing and tie-bar 18 may extend through a suitable aperture in the link '7. As shown, outside of the link 7 the projectingend 1% on the bar 13 is apertured transversely to receive a tapered wedge key 16. This wedge key may be relatively flat at one side'where it engages the outside of the shackle link 7. The shape of the key, however, is ordinarily of smallvmoment.

When the keyv 16 is driven up; tightit will be observed that the shoulders 1:515 will be drawn tightly against-the inside of the link 7, and the two links 7-7, assuming that both are held to the bar 13 by the means heretofore described,- will be definitely spaced apart by the shouldered portions 15-15 at opposite sides of the .barl3. The'end '17 of the wedge key may bebent over the side of the link 7 so as to ma-intainthe key in position and form a positive lock for holding the links together in definitely spaced apart relation. 7 While I have shown the same means of con nection -.of each link to the spacing andtiebar -13, it is to be observed that any other desired 'method of connection may be employed at one end of the spacing and tie-bar 13, and the construction heretofore described may be employed at :the opposite end. The spacing and tie-bar 13 :is preferably made of relatively flat wideconstruction for the purpose of conserving-space as heretofore described, but it-isto be understood that-other shapes may be employed; It will also be clear that theprojectingend lt need not be of angular. crosssection, but could be round. fWhileI have described the invention in considerable detail, it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I;claimr:' 1 1. An antifriction spring shackle construction including shackle links, ,anti friction bearlng means for-connecting: an automobile frame and spring through said links, aspacing and tie-bar for'spacing and connecting said links, said spacing and tie-bar having a shouldered portion for spacing said links apart, said links having openings therethrough and said spacing and tie bar having ends projecting through said openings, said projecting ends on said spacing and tie-bar having transverse openings therein and wedge keys extending through said openings for drawingsaid links together on the shoulders of said spacing and tie-bar, said wedge keys being bent over the sides of said links for holding the same inplace and forming a r 2. An @antifriction shackleconstruction inpositive lock.

eluding a pair of shackle links to-con-nect a spr ng frame, antifrlction beanng members interposed between said links and said spring and frame, a spaoin gand tie-bar member for spacing'and holding said links, shout dered portions on saidbar to abut the inside of said links, projecting means on said bar and wedge keys-engaging the outside of said links and'passing through apertures in said spacing bar for holding said links together in spaced apart relation by said shoulders.

3. In an antifriction-sha'ckle construction,

a pair-of shackle links for connecting a spring and frame to each other, a spacing and tiebar for spacing and connecting saidlinks, and wedge key means engaging one of said links and said spacing and tie-bar to rigidly secure 'the'latter to said link, and means for holding said other link to said spacing and tie-bar. V

a pair ofshackle links to connect an automo-,

bile spring and frame, antifriction bearing Inembers'interposed between said spring and; 7

frame andsaid links, arela'tively wide flat spaci'ng'and tie-bar between the ends of said frame and-spring for spacing said links apart, and means fOf'SGCUI'HIQJ-Sitld links to-sa-id tiebar for 'holdin gsaidlinks together indefinitelye spaced apart relation.

RAYMOND R1,. snAnLEs. 

